I know. Some of you are saying, “Hey, Kate, it’s not 1989! Fruit pizza hasn’t been cool for, like, 20 years now.” Well, I’m here to tell you that I’m bringing it back, baby. I don’t care if it was served at the baby shower held for your mother when she was pregnant with you–it is gorgeous and delicious and no one ever told YOU you weren’t cool just because you were adorable in 1989, right? This is our update on the classic fruit pizza of years past: an orange zest sugar cookie crust, whipped cream topping, and fresh, juicy berries to finish things off.
Making the Crust
First, you’ll whip up the dough, which is our classic sugar cookie recipe, with a little twist: orange zest. Because orange zest makes everything better.
After you make your dough, spray a pizza pan (not a pizza stone–cookies don’t do so well on pizza stones) with non-stick cooking spray and drop your dough into the center. You could also use a cookie sheet lined with parchment, as pictured here.
Using a rolling pin and your fingers, gently shape the dough in to a circle. If you’re feeling awesome, you can flute the edges (because we all know the most awesome people flute the edges of their fruit pizzas).
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place the whole thing in the refrigerator for about an hour.
When you’re ready to bake the crust, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the crust for 18-25 minutes or until it’s golden around the edges and completely cooked in the center. You can cook it a little longer if you prefer a crispier cookie.
While the crust is baking, wash your strawberries and blueberries. Slice the strawberries and pat everything dry with paper towels. Set the berries aside.
Making the Whipped Cream Topping
While the crust is cooling, you’ll want to make the creamy topping. Using an electric mixer, beat some cream cheese, brown sugar, and orange extract on high until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat some heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Dollop the creamy topping onto the crust. Spread the topping over the crust. Like so.
Decorating with Berries
You can arrange the berries however you want on your pizza. It can be patterned or haphazard, whatever your style is.
Once your berries are how you want them, you can really live on the edge. If desired, melt some dark chocolate, and drizzle it all over everything. Then you can take your extra berries and dip them in your extra chocolate. Cut it into thin (or thick–hey, no judging from the girl who ate a chocolate marshmallow brownie and a Diet Coke for breakfast this morning!) wedges and serve.
Note: there’s really no need to keep it red, white, and blue. Â Go crazy with any variety of fruit you have on hand!
Red, White, & Blue Fruit Pizza
Description
Sweet cream frosting and sliced fruit top a sweet sugar cookie base in this fantastic dessert pizza.
Ingredients
For the crust
1 cup real butter (no substitutions!)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Zest of 1 orange
For the creamy topping
1 8-oz. package cream cheese (light cream cheese is fine)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
For the fruit topping
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced, and patted dry
1 pint blueberries, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy–about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined. Add the orange zest and mix until combined.
Spray a round pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray and using your hands and a rolling pin, spread the dough out to the edges of the pan. If desired, you can add a decorative finish (like fluting) to the edges of the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
When ready to bake the crust, preheat your oven to 350. Bake the crust for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and completely baked in the center. If you prefer a crisper crust, you can bake the crust for a longer amount of time. Allow to cool completely.
When the crust is almost cool, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, orange extract, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and combine well.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange the fruit as desired over the creamy topping. If using chocolate, place the chocolate chips in a heavy-duty small Ziploc bag and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mashing the bag around until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the pizza. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
You don’t have to limit yourself to red, white, and blue– top with whatever variety of sliced fruit you desire. Canned mandarin oranges and fresh kiwi are great. We recommend staying away from fruits that brown easily, such as bananas.
It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. Never, ever use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour. Use a regular sized spoon and spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
Questions & Reviews
OMG! It is 7.17am here & I have stumbled upon this beautiful view of deliciousness!!
I’m going to step up the exercise the next few days so I can make share and enjoy this devine looking treat you have shared. Thank You 😀
I have been craving fruit piazza so I am making it right now but my cream cheese frosting turned out clumpy!! Do I need to soften the cream cheese first? It tastes delicious so far though!!
It helps to beat the cream cheese first, so yes, it needs to be a little softened!
Very good! Love the orange zest in the crust! Two thumbs up!!!!
I made this yesterday for a friend’s bday and it was sooo good! Everyone liked it!! Just one question, though- what size pizza pan is this recipe intended for? I used a 12″ pan and the cookie crust was really thick and I had so much frosting I didn’t use it all. Don’t get me wrong, it still tasted amazing! 🙂 Thanks!!
Rock on. My mom used to make these all the time. I’m making one for a co-worker this weekend and just came on the site figuring you had a recipe posted somewhere for fruit pizza. They are way cool and always have been. Now Harry Potter on the other hand…
My mom and sisters made this recently for my whole family and they said it was AMAZING!! So, now I HAVE to make it! hehe ;P I was also wondering if the video of you all making it on tv is on here somewhere (or where I can find it). I love watching you all make things! lol ;P
Hands down one of the best desserts I have made in a long time, not too sweet. So simple but so delish! Made it for the 4th and we are still fighting over every last piece. Thank god it makes a nice BIG pizza!
I made this for the 4th, and it was amazing. It looked great and tasted even better! I ate it for dessert, then breakfast the next day, then for dinner last night. I tweaked it a little and used half vanilla and half lemon extract in the dough, then just used some orange zest in the frosting. I don’t know how you used all of the frosting on the pizza though, because we had a ton extra! We used it as a strawberry fruit dip last night. Yum! Thanks for the recipe idea..
I made this for a party on Saturday and it was such a hit that I made it again for another party on Monday. The almond extract and orange zest in the crust are what make this dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I think it looks so so pretty !!!
and delicious
This is probably a dumb question, but every time I make a fruit pizza the crust doesn’t turn out that well. In my stone it is too soggy (and now I see you said not to use a stone on cookies so I won’t anymore!) and my other pizza pan has the holes all over it and makes cookies too hard. So what pizza pan do you ladies use? I think I need to invest in a different kind!
The orange zest added the most AMAZING twist! I don’t think I’ll ever make sugar cookies without it again! SO delicious!!!
same here! gave it a lighter and fresh taste – they “tasted” healthier!! haha
One of my fondest memories as a child was a teacher from church coming to my house on my birthday with a big fruit pizza! I have loved it ever since and will never quit making it. My husband gets very upset with designs because, “You have to have every piece of fruit on every slice of pizza!!” So, my creativity is limited. LOL!!! Really??? Goof ball.
My sister made this for our 4th celebration. It was soooo good and so beautiful!
Just made this, and it looks awesome! Can’t wait to eat it! (although, I’ve been snacking on everything as I made it: the frosting, the chocolate, the berries, the cake…) 😉
Made this yesterday and everybody LOVED it, raved about it. I also loved it for breakfast this morning…
I made this for a party yesterday & everyone loved it!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
the crust part of this is done and oh boy does it smell YUMMY! Orange and fruity and sweet!
Can’t wait to get the “frosting” on along with the fruit (already cut up).
Yummeroos!
I made this last night to go along with our traditional Friday night pizza night dinner and it was divine. Thx for the recipe. I would change the amount of orange vest next time. It over powered my slices although my husband said he didn’t even notice it. We all jilted the pizza including my one ear od and four yr ok’d.
Need help ladies – is Orange Zest a requirement for the crust or could I use dried valencia orange peel? (McCormick brand) thanks!!!!
This is what I have ….. can I use this in place of the orange extract in the cream cheese mixture too?
http://www.mccormickgourmet.com/Products/Spices/Orange-Peel-Valencia.aspx
I also have orange extract if either of those might work??
I’m curious why you don’t like cookies on a pizza stone? I’ve used both and cookies on a stone always turn out better… at least for me.
Robin, it could just be my stone, but my cookies always come out too fluffy. And they taste like garlic, but that’s probably because of the obscene amount of pizza I make… 🙂
Hi Kate. This looks amazing. I have a couple of questions. 1) I don’t have orange extract and not sure I want to buy it, since I don’t know when I would use it again (in the next year or so), so can I substitute orange juice or orange zest? If not, I guess I will have to buy it. 2) I am not artistic like you, and wish I was! I love your little fruit pattern in the middle of your pizza. Did you continue that same pattern throughout the pizza? I’m trying to figure it out by looking at your 2nd picture. Thanks.
Hi, Megan! Don’t worry about buying the orange extract, just toss 1/2 tsp. of orange zest in there. I did continue the pattern, although it kind of lost itself near the end. 🙂
Ok, so Maggie is sitting next to me and when she saw the fruit pizza she went, “Ooooooooh….Mom, I really want that! I’ll go get a pen and paper so I can write down what ingredients we need to buy!” I guess we’ll be making this in the near future! I’m praying that strawberries and blueberries aren’t too outrageously expensive bc apparently my 5 year old needs this!
Wow that looks so good to eat! Something that yummy never goes out of style it just gets better with age. Fruit pizza is one of my favorite food groups :o)
I love fruit pizza! And this looks wonderful…no surprise coming from you ladies!
I know have Justin Timberlake singing SexyBack stuck in my head only know it’s “I’m bringing Fruit Pizza back…” help me!! It looks delicious and beautiful. Who wouldn’t want a piece? Take that fruit pizza haters!
Ha, Kelli, I was totally going to do the whole sexy back thing, but I thought it might be weird. So I’m glad you’re feeling it. 🙂
fruit pizza went out of style?? I don’t believe it! LOL Fruit pizza will always be cool. Can’t wait to try yours 🙂
This looks so yummy! I’ll have to try it out sometime this summer!
What a great recipe for the upcoming holiday. Gorgeous pictures!
I loved fruit pizza in the 80’s and still love it today! Thanks for posting a yummy reminder of things that are good to eat! 🙂
I bet it would look amazing drizzled in white chocolate too plus it would keep the whole “red, white & blue” theme going.